time to raise the alcohol tax

Wisconsin's Beer Tax

1969 was the last time Wisconsin's tax on beer was raised. It's been $0.06 per gallon/$2.00 barrel for 48 years. Wisconsin is ranked #48 for lowest tax on beer.

Wisconsin's Spirits Tax

1982 was the last time the tax was raised on spirits. Wisconsin is ranked #21 for lowest tax rate on spirits.

Wisconsin's Wine Tax

1982 was the last time the tax was raised on wine. Wisconsin is ranked #43 for lowest tax on wine.

Benefits of a Tax Increase

Raising the beer tax to $10 per barrel would generate an additional $36 millions dollars of new money for alcohol or drug abuse treatment programs, for law enforcement, or other critical state programs per Senator Fred Risser and Representative Terese Berceau.

The researchers discovered that when the taxes on alcohol such as wine, beer and liquor in Illinois rose, the amount of alcohol-related drunk driving accidents decreased. In 2009, Illinois decided to raise the tax on different types of alcohol. The state increased tax on wine by 66 cents per gallon, beer by 4.6 cents and spirits by $4.05 per gallon. With these changes, the rate of accidents lowered.Accidents actually decreased by 26 percent in total, and by 37 percent among young drivers. They found that the percentage was similar among drivers, regardless of how inebriated they were. (Resource: American Addiction Centers)

More information can be found on Wisconsin's Alcohol Tax by clicking on the link below.